Bottle filler valve



July 4, 1950 J. KANTOR BOTTLE FILLER VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed NOV. 18, 1946 Ilia.

NFK

July 4, 1950 t J. KANTOR 4 BOTTLE FILLER VALVE 4Filed Nov. 18, i946 2 sheets-sheet 2 5@ INVENToR. fu/f5.5' KANTOH,

' A TTOHNE'K Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in container filling machines, and more particularly to machines for filling containers with carbonated beverages.

One difliculty which has heretofore been experienced with carbonated beverage container filling machines, now commercially used, is that of preventing the beverage, after it has been deposited in the container from boiling over or foaming. This is particularly so of the beverages highly charged with CO2.

In the present commercial type of machine, after the syrup has been deposited in the container, the container is then lled with water charged with CO2. In filling containers with a charged beverage, such as beer, of course the syrup is not deposited in the bottle first. In each instance however, the top of the container or bottle is sealed against atmospheric pressure during the filling operation. After the liquid has reached a predetermined point in the bottle, the iiow of liquid is shut off and the bottle seal is broken, so that the bottle or container may have applied thereto, the sealing crown. If the top of the bottle be unsealed, before shutting off the iiow of liquid into the bottle, the carbonated Water will be delivered to the bottle or container under relatively high pressure in the interval between the unsealing and the shutting off of the water supply. The unsealing of the container results in a substantial reduction of pressure in the container and with the continued inow of carbonated liquid, there would be a considerable agitation of `the beverage in the container. This agitation would result in foaming, resulting in the loss of an appreciable amount of the liquid as a result of overflow and the loss of a certain percentage of the CO2 in the liquid.

Another cause of foaming, boiling over, or release of gas is that of the failure to close the valve controlling the delivery of the carbonated beverage to the bottle, before the top of the container or bottle is unsealed. If the top of the bottle is unsealed before the flow of liquid into the bottle takes place, the carbonated water being delivered to the the bottle or container under relatively high pressure, because of the unsealing of the container, will cause considerable agitation of the beverage in the container.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide means whereby there may be a gradual release of the pressure on top of the carbonated beverage contained in the bottle, before the bottle is entirely unsealed to thus avoid any tendency to release the gas in the beverage, thereby avoiding boiling over or foaming.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for insuring the closing or shutting off of the flow of the carbonated liquid into the bottle,

2 before there is any quick release of the pressure on top of the contents of the bottle.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear more fully hereinafter in the appended specification and claims.

While for the purpose of description, the invention is described in connection with a bottle as the container for the reception of the carbonated beverage, it will be understood that this term is used comprehensively enough to include any other kind of suitable container.

For the purpose of disclosing the invention, an embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial sectional View of Aa bottle filling apparatus for embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a type of lling valve embodying my invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the control cam for governing the release of the pressure of the lled bottle;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 and showing the relief valve in detail;

Fig. 5 is a similar View with the relief valve shown in closed position; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partially in section, of the relief valve shown in Figs. 4 and 5, more particularly illustrating the venting or snifting port.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, there is provided a filling tank I preferably doughnut shaped and provided with a series of filling valves 2. This filling tank surrounds and is operably connected with a Water check tank 3 which provides a means for controlling the counter pressure adapted to be admitted to the bottle, before the carbonated beverage flows into the bottle, to thereby control the rate of flow of the liquid from the filler tank into the bottle. To this end, the Water check tank is provided with an internal cylinder 4 opening at its bottom to the tank 3. Air under pressure is admitted to the cylinder Il through a suitable conduit connection 5, the pressure of this air being sufficiently greater than that in the tank 3 to force the water in the tank 3 out of the cylinder 4 and maintain the same at a predetermined level. The level of the water in the tank 3 thereby determines the counterpressure delivered to the bottle and the height to which the bottle is to be lled. Each of the ller valves 2 arranged in the ller tank I is connected by a suitable conduit 6 and suitable controlled ports 6 With the cylinder Il, the arrangement being such that as the iiller valve receives the bottle to be filled, the pressure from the cylinder l Will be admitted to the bottle through the valve and this pressure will be continued during the lling operation.

Each of the filler valves 2 comprises a basel, which. is Seated Within a suitable opening 8 in the bottom of the ller tank I. Extending downwardly from the base 1 is an annular coupling flange 1' to which is secured a valve housing 9 through the medium of a coupling nut I0. An opening II extends through the base 1 and receives a threaded coupling I2 in which is secured the hollow liquid delivery or lling tube I3. This tube is adapted to project within the bottle to be iilled to within a predetermined distance from the bottom of the bottle, and has at its lower end a control valve I4 generally referred to as the pear valve, which controls the delivery of liquid through the lower end of the tube I3.

The opening and closing of this pear valve I4 is controlled by a stern I5 extending into the tube I3 and upwardly into a pressure chamber formed in a head I6 supported at the upper end of a pair of air passage tubes I1, the lower ends of which are secured in the head 1. This pressure chamber has mounted therein a diaphragm I8 to which is secured the stem I5 and which effectually seals the top I9 of the pressure chamber against the atmosphere, the opposite side of the pressure chamber being opened to pressure within the tank.

Pressure is admitted to the chamber I9 above the diaphragm I8 through the air passage tubes I1 and through suitable ports 20 communicating with these tubes and leading to the pressure chamber I9.

The upper part of the valve housing, together with the flange 'I' forms a chamber 2I into which the counter pressure from the cylinder 4 is admitted through the control valve 34, to be more fully hereinafter described. The admission of counterpressure from the chamber 2l to the container is controlled through the medium of an annular valve 22 which seats on a shoulder 23 and when seated, closes an inlet port 24 leading to the chamber 2 I This valve 22 is provided with a cylindrical stem 2-5 projecting downwardly through an opening in the housing 9 and surrounding the ller tube I3. The valve 22 is biased in its closed position by a suitable coiled spring 25.

The lower end of the housing 9 is provided with a mouth 21 having arranged therein a suitable sealing washer or gasket 28. A bottle receiving centering bell or mouth is arranged to slide vertically on the stem I3 and this mouth comprises a housing 29, which when the mouth or bell is raised upon the engagement with a bottle to be lled, will be moved upwardly until its top edge 30 makes sealing engagement with the gasket 28 and which, at the same time engage-s the stem 25 to raise the valve 22 from its seat. The centering bell 3| at its lower` end, is provided with a gasket 32, which when engaged by the top of the bottle makes sealing engagement therewith, so that when the bottle is in position to receive the carbonated beverage through the tube I3, it is sealed against admission of atmospheric air and at the same time, is placed in communication with the chamber 2| by the opening of the valve 22 through the tubular stem 25 and through the spacing 33 in the head 29.

The control valve 34 also controls the admission of counterpressure to the chamber 2l and thus to the bottle, as well as controlling the escape of pressure in the top of the bottle after the same has been lled to the desired liquid level. To this end, the control valve casing is provided with an inlet port 35 connected by the pipe 6 with the cylinder 4 through the suitable control ports 6. This port communicates with a valve Chambl 35 having a valve seat 31 and the valve chamber in turn communicates with the port 24 leading to the chamber 2l. This valve chamber 36 likewise has a bleeder port 38 delivering through a restricted opening 39 to the atmosphere.

A liner 40 is provided in the valve casing 34, which liner has on its outer face an annular channel 4I communicating with the bleeder port 33 and likewise communicating through ports 42 with the interior of the liner. The bottom end of the liner in provided with a valve seat 43. Operating within this liner is a valve stem 44, the lower end of which carries a tapered valve, one face 45 of which is adapted, when the valve is in its projected position, to engage the seat 31 and the other face 46 of which is adapted, when the valve stem is in its retracted position, to engage the seat 43. Suitable ports 41 and 48 and 48 permit communication between the chamber 35 and the bleeder port 39, when the valve stem is in its closed position. The stem is biased in its open position through the medium of a coiled spring 49 and is moved towards its closed position through the medium of an adjustable stem 50 adapted to engage, during the rotation of the filler valve, with the stationarily mounted operating cam 5 I. This cam is supported at the ends of a pair of spring pressed plungers 52 biased in an outward direction through the coiled springs 53 and supported at the outer ends of an arm 54 adjustably secured upon a horizontal arm 55, in turn supported from a standard 56 adjacent the ller tank I.

In operation, as the bottle to be lled is raised, by suitable raising mechanism, it engages the mouth 3I and the gasket 32, thereby making sealing engagement with the bell head 29, The continued upward movement of the bottle eventually engages the shoulder 39 with the gasket 28, which thereby eiectually seals the bottle against the atmosphere. At the same time, the hollow stem 25 is engaged by the head 29, raising the valve 22 from its seat and thereby placing the bottle in communication with the slightly higher counterpressure cylinder 4, it being borne in mind that at this point, the stern 50 is out of engagement with the cam 5I and therefore, the valve stem 44 is in its open position, as illustrated in Fig. 4. With the valve stem 44 in its open position, communication of the chamber 36 with the atmosphere is shut off, but counterpressure through the pipe 6 is permitted to pass into the chamber 2l and with the valve 22 open, this counterpressure iiows into the bottle and also into the chamber I9 above the diaphragm I8. With the admission of higher pressure above the diaphragm I8, the stem I5 is moved downwardly, thereby opening the pear valve I4 and the carbonated liquid is permitted to flow through the ller tube into the bottle against the counterpressure which has been admitted to the bottle. This counterp-ressure, therefore, regulates the rapidity of flow of the liquid into the bottle from the tank I. Bearing in mind, that the tank I is rotating during the ow of liquid into the bottle, the tank ultimately reaches the position where the stem 50 engages the cam 5I. This moves the valve stem 44 to the position illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the face 45 of the valve stem engages the seat 31, thus shutting off the ow of counterpressure into the chamber 2|, even though at this time, the valve 22 is opened. At the same time that the counterpressure is shut oli, the port 24 is placed in communication through the ports 41 and 48 with the bleeder port 38, so that as long as the stem 50 is in engagement with the cam 5I, the chamber 2| will be placed in communication with the atmosphere through a small bleeder or snifter opening. Bleeding the pressure to the atmosphere through this opening quickly reduces the pressure in the chamber I9 above the diaphragm I8, permitting the pear valve I4 to close and shutting off the flow of liquid through the tube I3 and at the same time gradually snifting the pressure in the top of the bottle and above the liquid to the atmosphere, so that by the time the stem 50 passes off the cam 5I, at which time the bottle commences its downward movement, the pressure in the top of the bottle has been gradually bled off and the unsealing of the bottle, by its disengagement with the bell mouth 3l and gasket 32, will not cause any quick release of the pressure above the liquid in the bottle.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a container filling machine, in combination, means for sealing the container to be filled to the atmosphere, means for controlling the admission of counter fluid pressure to the container and the floW of liquid to the container, While the same is sealed to the atmosphere, and means for effecting, when the liquid in the container reaches a predetermined level, the operation of said controlling means to shut off the flow of liquid to the container and for substantially simultaneously shutting off the flow of counterpressure and venting the top of the container to the atmosphere prior to the release of said sealing means.

2. In a container filling machine, in combination, means for sealing the container to the atmosphere, a liquid controlling valve for controlling the flow of liquid to the container, fluid pressure means for operating said Valve, a fluid pressure controlling valve operated upon the sealing of the container to admit fluid pressure to said fluid pressure controlling means to open said fluid controlling valve and to, at the same time, admit fluid under pressure to the container to be lled, and a secondary valve operating to shut off the flow of fluid under pressure to the container and to said fluid pressure operating means and to simultaneously vent said fluid pressure operating means and vent the top of the container to the atmosphere While the container is still sealed and at a slower rate than would be effected by the unsealing of the container.

3. In a container filling machine, in combination, a filling valve having a liquid discharge tube, a valve for controlling the discharge of liquid through said tube, fluid pressure operating means for controlling the operation of said valve, a counterpressure valve for controlling the admission of operating pressure to said fluid pressure operating means and the admission of counterpressure to the container to be filled and operated by the movement of the container to a position to receive said liquid discharge tube, and a secondary valve controlling the admission of operating pressure to said fluid pressure operated means and said counterpressure to the container and the escape to the atmosphere of said fluid pressure, and means for operating the secondary valve after the container has been filled to a predetermined level to shut off the supply of fluid pressure to said fluid pressure operating means and said counterpressure to the container, and to simultaneously open said fluid pressure operating means and the top of the container to the atmosphere.

4. In a container filling machine, in combination, means for sealing the container to the atmosphere, means for controlling the flow of fluid under pressure to the container, means for controlling the flow of liquid to the container while the container is sealed, means for effecting, when the liquid in the container has reached a predetermined level, the operation of said controlling means to shut off the flow of liquid to the container and for shutting off the flow of pressure to the container and simultaneously establishing a restricted vent to the atmosphere for the top of the container prior to the release of said sealing means.

5. In an apparatus for filling containers, in combination, a rotary filling tank having a filling valve carried thereby, said Valve including means for sealing the cont `iner to the atmosphere when the container is positioned to have liquid delivered thereto by said filling valve, a valve for controlling the flow of liquid to the container, fluid pressure operated means for controlled operation of said fluid control valve, a fluid pressure controlled valve operated by the movement of the container into filling position to permit the flow of fluid under pressure to operate said fluid pressure operating means and the flow of fluid under pressure to the container, and means operated by the rotative movement of said valve with the tank for shutting off the flow of fluid pressure to fthe container and to said fluid pressure operating means and simultaneously venting the top of the container and said uid pressure operated means to the atmosphere before said sealing means is released to permit said fluid pressure operated means to shut oil the flow of fluid to the container and vent the top of the container prior to the unsealing of the container and at a rate slower than would be effected by the unsealing of the container.

6. In a filling valve for container filling machines, in combination, a filling tube adapted to be projected into the container to be filled, a centering bell surrounding said tube and reciprocably mounted thereon and adapted to engage and seal the neck of the container to be filled, sealing means for sealing the top of said centering bell, when the same is moved into engagement therewith by the movement of the container into filling position, a fluid controlling valve at the bottom end of said filling tube, fluid pressure operated means for opening said fluid controlling valve, a fluid pressure controlling valve and means engageable by said bell top, when the same is moved into sealing engagement with its sealing means for opening said fluid pressure controlling valve to admit counterpressure to the container to be filled and operating fluid pressure to the fluid pressure means for opening said fluid valve, and a secondary Valve normally open during the filling of said container to admit counterpressure fluid to the container and operating fluid to said fluid pressure operated means and normally closing said container and said fluid pressure operating means to the atmosphere, and means operating, when the liquid in the container reaches a predetermined level to operate said secondary valve to shut oil' the supply of operating fluid to said uid pressure operated means and shut olf the admission of counterpressure to said container and simultaneously vent the container and the fluid pressure operating means to the atmosphere prior to the operation of said bell top to unseal the container and at a slower rate than would be effected by the unsealing of the container.

7. In a filling valve for container filling machines adapted for rotative movement during the filling operation, in combination, a filling tube adapted to be projected intothe container to be filled, a centering bell reciprocably mounted on said tube and adapted to make sealing engagement with the container to be filled, sealing means for sealing said centering bell against the atmosphere operated by the movement of the container to be filled in receiving said filling tube, a iiuid controlling valve at the bottom of said tube controlling the ow of liquid into the container, fluid pressure'operating means for opening said fluid controlling valve, a valve operated by the movement of said centering bell into sealing position to admit operating fluid pressure to said fiuid operating means and counterpressure to the container, a secondary valve normally in position to permit the passage of fluid pressure to said fluid pressure operating means and counter fluid pressure to said container and to shut 01T the passage of said pressures to the atmosphere, and means operated by the rotative movement of said filling valve for operating said secondary valve to shut off the supply of counterpressure and fluid operating pressure and to vent the container and said uid pressure operating means to the atmosphere prior to the opening of said sealing means for said centering bell at a slower rate than would be effected by the unsealing of the container.

8. A container lling valve including a body, a nlling tube suported by said body and adapted to be projected into the container to be filled, a

entering bell mounted to reciprocate on said tube and having means for effecting a sealing engagement between said body and the container to be filled, a chamber formed in said body having a passage communicating with the container through said centering bell, a liquid controlling valve at the bottom of said tube, a iiuid pressure diaphragm chamber communicating with said body chamber, a diaphragm subject to pressure Within said diaphragm chamber and connected with said fluid valve to open said valve when pressure is developed in said diaphragm chamber, a fluid pressure control valve in said chamber controlling the passage of fluid under pressure from a source of supply to said chamber and moved to open position by the movement of the centering bell in making sealing engagement with said body, and a secondary valve controlling the passage of fluid under pressure to said body chamber and the venting of said chamber to the atmosphere, the normal position of said secondary valve being such as to admit fiuid pressure to the body chamber and to close the vent, and means to move said secondary valve to shut 01T the supply of fluid under pressure to said chamber and to vent said chamber to the atmosphere.

9. In a container filling machine, a liquid reservoir and a source of fluid under pressure, a filling valve including means for eiecting a sealing engagement between the container to be filled and said filling head valve, said engagement sealing the container against the atmosphere, a valve controlling the fiow of liquid from said reservoir into the container, pressure operated means for effecting the opening of said uid valve, a Valve controlling the admission of pressure from said source of fluid pressure supply to the container and to said pressure operating means, means for opening said pressure controlling valve operated when the container makes sealing engagement with said filling head Valve and means for shutting off the supply of fluid under pressure to the container and to said pressure operated means and for venting the top of the container and said pressure operated means to the atmosphere prior to the breaking of said sealing engagement between the head and the container.

10. A container filling valve including an elongated tube adapted to be projected into the container to be filled, a valve for controlling the flow of liquid through said tube, fluid pressure means for moving said valve to open position, means for effecting a sealing engagement between the container to be filled and the filling valve when the tube is projected into the container, a valve for controlling the admission of fluid Apressure to the fiuid pressure operating means and moved to open position to admit pressure to the fluid pressure operating means to open said liquid valve by the effecting of a seal between the container and the filler Valve and means for simultaneously shutting off the passage of fiuid pressure to said fluid pressure means and venting said fiuid pressure means to the atmosphere prior to the breaking of the sealing engagement between the container and the lling Valve and prior to the closing of said first mentioned pressure control valve.

JAMES KANTOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,186,526 Greiner Jan. 9, 1940 2,367,899 Stewart Jan. 23, 1945 

